There’s been a lot of discourse around whether SZA is a worthy Glastonbury headliner with people genuinely asking: ‘Who is SZA?’ If you didn’t know who she was before she headlined American Express presents BST Hyde Park on Saturday night, you certainly should after. It was a show that perfectly represented every aspect of SZA ; the parts of her that embody modern R&B like Summer Walker, the twerk-loving moves of Megan Thee Stallion and relationship angst like Taylor Swift . Just like a Pick n Mix, there was something for everyone.
OG fans of SZA may have worried how much she would honour her old hits, aka the songs that made her, considering how much her stardom blew up with her second album SOS, released in 2022. However, she gave her most vintage hits the right amount of breathing space, opening with Love Galore and treating us to classics like Broken Clocks and Garden early on. It was a little disappointing that we didn’t get the full version of fan-favourite Supermodel, a standout from her 2017 debut album CTRL.
Interspersing it with Special from SOS might have made sonic sense but for those of us who had longed to hear Supermodel live for years, cutting it off before the second verse felt like we’d been robbed of one of her best songs. However, the rest of SZA’s Hyde Park set was virtually flawless – even if she endearingly missed a verse on one occasion. For an artist with such a rich and delicate voice, her live vocals were truly something to be admire.